The present invention relates to a depositor apparatus for dispensing measured units of material. In particular, the present invention relates to a depositor apparatus which dispenses material from spaced dispensers.
Depositors are known which meter and dispense material to a moving conveyor system. Typically, material from a hopper or feed reservoir is filled into a dispensing chamber for discharge. The dispensing chamber typically includes a reciprocating dispensing plunger operable within said chamber to force material from the chamber to dispense the material from the depositor. While the dispensing chamber is being filled with material from a hopper or feed reservoir, the dispensing plunger remains in a retracted position, such that no material is expunged from the depositor while the dispensing chamber is being filled. After the dispensing chamber is filled, then the dispensing plunger can operate to dispense a metered unit of material. Thus, the depositor must complete the metering and filling cycle prior to commencing the dispensing cycle. Thus, the rate at which measured units of material can be dispensed is limited by the rate at which the metering and filling cycles can take place and the dispensing rate.
There is a continuing effort to increase production rates of product; and, thus, there is an effort to increase the rate for depositing measured units of material onto a conveyor system. A system incorporating coordinated dual dispensing chambers where material is metered into a first dispensing chamber while other material is dispensed from a second separate dispensing chamber is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,145 to Brunson. Brunson discloses dual dispensing chambers coupled to a single discharge chamber having a discharge opening. A valve assembly rotates between the dual dispensing chambers to selectively connect a filled dispensing chamber with the single discharge chamber and discharge opening. Due to limitations in the operation of the valve assembly, time delays exist between the connection of respective dispensing chambers to the single discharge chamber thus limiting the rate at which material may be filled into the dispensing chamber and dispensed. In Brunson, the valve assembly essentially selectively forms a portion of the dispensing chamber when coupled to the discharge chamber and forms a portion of the filling chamber when the dispensing chamber is coupled to a filling chamber and thus pressure is exerted to the valve assembly tending to decrease operating efficiency of the valve assembly. Thus, it is desirable to provide an improved depositor assembly with increased speed, capacity and/or efficiency for metering and dispensing product.